Description

Ghee, a form of clarified butter is not news to anyone who is Indian, Pakistani, heck, who is from that whole side of the globe!  Relatively new to American supermarket shelves, Organic Valley’s Purity Farms has mainstreamed it so it can be found beyond Whole Foods and Fresh Markets at a variety of supermarkets.

The milk solids are removed, and then the liquid far is simmered, giving it a mildly nutty taste, before being poured into jars where it is sold like a shortening.

Ghee is butter’s better cousin. Free of milk solids, its a better pure fat that rivals the best vegetable oils. The smoke point of ghee is a whopping 485°F, which makes it an ideal replacement, with a good silicone basting brush, for both aerosol sprays and for shortenings used to grease things like muffin tins. It preps the surface of a griddle for crepes or waffles well, and it’s killer for using with eggs, sauteéd vegetables, etc. Melted, it makes a great drawn butter for lobster that compliments the taste perfectly.

Oh, and if you happen to making Indian breads, like Naan, the new love affair of America, or other Indian dishes, you’re good to go!

GHEE DOES NOT NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED.  This is a point lost on the dairy people at almost all American supermarkets, so you will pick it up in a refrigerated case, but it is best stored in a cool, dark space like a kitchen cabinet, away from heat sources.

Remember: To avoid contamination, spoon out what you need to a smaller work bowl, and brush or take what you need out of that. Don’t stick anything that you’re cooking with directly into the ghee, same as you would avoid contaminating vegetable shortening.

I’ve tried several of the jars of ghee from different suppliers, and, while there are at least a dozen purveyors right now, including Trader Joe’s which isn’t bad, I have to give Organic Valley’s Purity Farms Ghee a big five-diamond nod.  Ghee is a “how you make it” thing, and this is just so fresh and the consistency remains perfect to the bottom of the jar.

This is a Jazz Chef essential!

You can buy this at a good price at Whole Foods, at many better supermarkets, or online at